Five things to watch: Chargers vs. Broncos

In this Oct. 24, 2010 photo, Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is seen during an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders in Denver. Twenty-three-year-old Tebow is collaborating with Nathan Whitaker on an inspirational memoir called "Through My Eyes," scheduled to come out in April 2011, HarperCollins announced Monday Nov. 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
— AP

In this Oct. 24, 2010 photo, Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is seen during an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders in Denver. Twenty-three-year-old Tebow is collaborating with Nathan Whitaker on an inspirational memoir called "Through My Eyes," scheduled to come out in April 2011, HarperCollins announced Monday Nov. 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
/ AP

1. Ground ball: As much as the long-distance passing of the two quarterbacks involved would suggest a shootout — Philip Rivers is No. 1 in aerial yardage, Kyle Orton No. 2, and the latter is just as fond of the deep ball as the former — Denver’s been beaten and beaten and beaten like a drum by teams that stick with their running game. It matters less whether Ryan Mathews is available at game time than whether the Chargers can keep the Broncos from doing what they did to K.C. last week, which was to take a huge early lead and force the opponent to throw the ball. Frankly, the Broncos haven’t done very well at stopping the pass, either.

2. Tebow Time: There’s the Red Zone. Then there’s the TT Zone, the one the Broncos enter when quarterback Kyle Orton has long-tossed them close enough to the goal line to have their other quarterback run it in, Heisman-style. Tebow’s scored thrice in the first handful of snaps he accepted, and adding a wrinkle to the wrinkle, the Broncos let him throw his first NFL pass last week. Touchdown. The Chargers haven’t faced a lot of quarterbacks who like to run with the ball, but for what it’s worth, a few of those who’ve tried have come away with well-rung bells.

3. Royal pain: Norv Turner said Saturday that he feels the Chargers now have the right people on his coverage teams, bolstered by the returns of linebackers Brandon Siler and Larry English, and the very presence of the Broncos at Qualcomm Stadium will serve as a reminder of the desperate need for special-teams improvement. When last the Broncos were here, they provided a precursor of what would go horribly wrong for the Chargers in the future, Eddie Royal going for touchdowns on returns of both a punt (71 yards) and a kickoff (93). Don’t let the bye week let anyone forget that in their last game, the Chargers still were getting their punts batted.

4. Kickin’ Kaeding: Prime time could be a good time for Nate Kaeding to return to placekicking after three games missed due to a groin strain. The bright lights of Monday Night Football will be a terrific test for Kaeding to shake off the rust and some of the skepticism over his aim under big-game pressure. (For what it’s worth, footing could be tricky after the rain and Aztecs game over the weekend.)

5. Spear tips: Devote too much focus to the battle between the center and the nose tackle and, well, you’ll miss most of the game. But there isn’t a matchup on the field that’s more head-to-head than center-to-nose guard, and this particular matchup is quite compelling, given the history and the players involved. Chargers center Nick Hardwick spent three days a week in practice over much of his career faced off against Jamal Williams, then the leader of the San Diego defensive line, now the mountain in the middle of Denver’s own 3-4.